Tales of a Trickster (And His Lesser-known Best Friend)
by SugarSweetObsessed
Summary: NOT JACK X OC! Collection of One-shots revolving around Jack and his best friend. She may not be the most dastardly partner in crime, but it does result in some fun times. (1) Suddenly, something collided with her back, and pushed her.


…**.. If anything seems off to you, don't worry. It's only like 1:30 and I'm as tired as it gets. No biggie or anything.**

**As you may have noticed, I changed this to the first chapter, and took down the other one. I'll still continue it, but just when I've thickened Elizabeth and Jack's friend ship a bit.**

**Jack dies at 17 in my messed up mind, to clear up some confusion there might be. P.S. the chapter title makes not sense at all, so don't try to decode it or anything. Unless you want a headache.**

**Title: **_Falling with Sunshine_

**Rating: **_T_

**Summary: **_Suddenly, something collided with her back, and pushed her into the water below. She screamed as her body crashed into the water. _

**Elizabeth is 12**

**Jack is 14**

**XxX**

It was a normal spring day in Burgess.

Well, the _weather_ was normal. It's that pleasant type of weather. You know, the not too hot, but not too cold type. The type that makes you just want to sit down and relax.

That is, in fact, what Elizabeth wanted to do, but Jack wasn't having any of it. She had to force him (or more like threaten to never _ever_ talk to him again) to trudge down the well-worn path with her.

It didn't help that he complained all the way.

"It's too _hot_."

"This is so boring."

"Let's play a prank."

"We can go watch the blacksmith work."

"We can ask Miss Jarwins for her world famous muffins."

"Are we there yet?"

" I'm cold."

"Why won't you answer me?"

It was hard to believe he was the older one.

Thank heavens, as soon as he asked the question, they got there. It wasn't much. A small clearing in the middle of the forest with a lake in the middle of it. Sunlight streamed through it welcoming, and inviting, and Elizabeth felt like she could just stand there and-

"Don't tell me you're gonna stand there all day. Lets do something _fun_!"

She smiled. "Right!" And she then laid down on the soft grass and pulled Jack down with her.

After a few minutes of sweet quiet, Jack spoke.

"This is your idea of fun? Ellie, this is so boring." He asked dryly.

"Elizabeth. No it isn't. It's nice and warm and inviting. Just, you know, relax."

His frown will not budge.

"Please?"

He was silent.

"I'll get mum to bake you more cookies?"

He would not meet her gaze.

"I'll get her to bake you even more cookies?"

His eyes were narrowed.

"I'll let you call me Ellie?"

His arms were folded tight against his chest.

"Lizzie too?"

This was bad, really bad, because she knew she would give into his act and would say something she would r-

"I'll... do what ever you want later?" Regret. It ended 3 octaves higher than her normal voice allowed, but it was worth it to see Jack tilt his head then eye her, an eyebrow raised, questioning her decision.

He knew how desperate she would have to be to suggest that. The last time she had, she'd been finding goose feathers in the oddest of places for weeks.

"Really? You mean it?"

She sighed. "Yes. But you have to _promise_ to just stay here. Okay?" She sheepishly raised her pinky, and Jack looped his through hers.

"Deal." She wished she could wipe that smile right off his face.

_**XxX**_

They did fun things together, laying there in the grass. Of course, not Jack's level of fun, which consisted of pranks, tricks and occasionally climbing something that should not be climbed and coming home with something broken. But it was Elizabeth's level of fun, which consisted of giggling at oddly shaped clouds, gossiping ("Did you hear that Gilliard Mount got married? I wonder to who.." "Hm.." "Are you listening, Jack?" "If you want me to be, then I am."), and talking. But it was mostly talking.

" Whats wrong with wanting to climb trees?"

"Nothing, except it isn't proper."

"Proper schmoper, you haven't experienced the more fun things in life."

Elizabeth sighed. She just didn't understand Jack sometimes. "You'll look like a wild thing."

"Whats wrong with that?" Make that at all.

"What isn't wrong with that?" She turned her head so the grass tickled her nose, and she could see ants making they're way to food elsewhere.

"I swear, you going to grow to be a.. a.. a.. I don't know, adventurous person ? You know I'm not the best with insults." She turned back to she faced the sky and settled an arm across her stomach, using the other to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her reddening ear.

She did not show embarrassment in front of Jackson Overland. Unless she wanted to indulge weeks of teasing.

Jack just rolled his eyes. "At least I won't be alone."

"What?" Forgetting her blush, she turned to face him with questioning eyes.

"Your my best friend." He gave her a small but true smile, one that her barely ever gave. "We do everything together."

"Well not _everything_. But most things." She gave him a small smile of her own.

Jack laughed. "We're not gonna get all sappy and hug and stuff, right?"

She sighed and acted defeated. "Well, if you don't want to..."

"Your becoming a better liar every day."

"Nothing to be proud of."

"Cmere." He sat up and held open his arms.

"Wait – I – What?"

"A hug."

"But – " No sooner had she spoken the word, Jack embrace her in a hug.

He laughed into her hair. "You seriously need to get out more."

"I do get out," she murmured into her shoulder, " you always drag me everywhere."

He pulled away and pulled a strand of her hair, grinning. "I don't drag you everywhere enough."

"That hurts." She laid back down and felt the sun's rays radiating off her skin. "Really hurt." she murmured this in more of a distracted tone. The sun was so warm on her skin and it felt relaxing.

"Yeah your right,"

What? Jack never apologized for tugging her hair. She would have thought on it more, but the sun's rays were pulling her in a trance, telling her to close her eyes. She compelled.

"Don't the clouds look nice and fluffy?" She felt Jacks eyes on her.

She hummed in agreement, though she did not see them.

"They must be nice to sleep on won't they? Like a sheep's wool?"

She could feel it, how soft and plush it would feel. Another hum.

"And the breeze would be just right,would sing a song like Mother's lullabies..."

She remembered the time she'd been over at the Overland's house and Jack's mother had been putting his little sister to sleep. She did not hum, but she made a small noise, strained.

" It would have the best cookies too, won't it? On a cloud in the sky, milk and cookies."

She did not move nor make a sound.

"Sweet dreams, Ellie."

But she did not scold him for calling her the forbidding nickname.

She was already fast asleep.

_**XxX**_

Something scampered across the grass, paws making a scuffling noise as it searched for food, or water, or a friend, or something, and she woke with a start. The noise had startled her. She brought up her hand to rub the sleep out of her eyes, and brushed clumped grass and dirt off her cheek. She looked around and for a second – only a second! – she forgot where she was and panicked, her head whipping around sending raven heir flying, before she calmed, recognizing the spot.

And then she remembered who was supposed to be with her. She got up and spun around, surveying her surroundings, _but no Jack_.

_**He left.**_ Her inner voice echoed from inside her mind.

_No, he didn't. _She argued mentally. _I know Jack. He wouldn't leave without reason._

_**Maybe he did have reason.**_ She could hear the voice snarl, and could nearly see the vicious smirk.

_Maybe he did, maybe he didn't, that is not my problem._

_**It is when he's abandoned you.**_

She spun around in a circle, looking around for the older one. The voice tut-tut-tutted from her childishness.

_**He isn't here, Elizabeth. Go home. Be angry. Never speak to him again.**_

"_Be quiet!" _she yelled. She gripped the side of her head and pulled at her hair in anger, though she wasn't sure at who. She slowly released her hair, and took a deep breath.

Then, a new voice flooded her ears, but this time it was her mothers. Then she remembered how mother would react when her older sisters got in a vivid argument . She always stepped outside the house and would look around. She'd always stated it calmed her nerves; it was relaxing; it was peaceful. So she tried it.

The clearing with the lake.

The sun and the trees.

The birds and the rabbits.

The grass and the flowers.

It was all beautiful, but it did nothing to calm her nerves. So she did the next big thing.

"Jack?"

The silence seemed to mock her.

"Jack!"

Still quiet.

"Jack! This isn't funny!"

She was scared.

"Not at all!"

She wanted to go home.

"Jack!"

She felt like crying.

"Come on!"

What if Jack had really left her?

"This isn't fair!"

She could feel tears welling in her eyes and she quickly blinked them away.

"We made a deal!"

She wondered if she could make her way home, but quickly dismissed the thought. She dudn't know the path as well as Jack did, and not only so, but her mother would blow a casket if she found out Jaxk left her.

Something scampered across the grass and she jumped, but then smiled as she recognized the thing as a white rabbit.

She sat by it and picked it up. The bunny protested a while, but relaxed in her arms under the suns rays. She softly stroked its fur. She and the rabbit both found it to be caljming, and she continued.

"What am I supposed to do?" She sighed as she scratched the bunny behind it's ear.

"I swear, when I get to him, I'll–" A low growl echoed through the clearing. The rabbit jumped from her grasp and took off towards the forest.

Elizabeth stood up, and looked toward the direction the sound had come from. Fear dashed her eyes – the last time a growl had jumped her, she'd lost her favorite doll, and been chased half way through the forest. All in all, it wasn't her favorite sound to hear at the moment.

"H-hello?"

The bush across from her rustled, and she backed away from it, nearing the lake.

"Is it someone?"

The growl sounded again, this time even closer. She felt a tear make its way down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away

"Please, don't hurt me!"

She backed away from it more, careful not to near the lake to point she would fall in.

She spun around, trying to find the animal.

"I won't hurt you..."

Suddenly, something collided with her back, and pushed her into the water below.

She screamed as her body crashed into the water.

It was scary. Her dress weighed her down, she couldn't see, and it didn't help that she couldn't swim.

She thrashed about a bit and nearly sighed in relief as her hands grabbed some dirt. She poked her head above the water and hyperventilated. She felt light-headed; her chest felt on fire; fingers felt numb.

She sat there, just sat there, waist submerged in water, upper half of her body above and stared at nothing.

Granted, she wasn't pushed far into the lake; she was near the edge, but the fear of knowing she'd almost drowned...

She just sat there, scared and stared.

Then she heard it, the effects of her panic wearing off, and the water in her ears unclogging itself out of her ears, she heard it.

Laughter.

Not just any laughter, but the laughter she heard every time he pulled a prank, or one of the sheep knocked its self and another down, or when his little sister clung to him and wouldn't let him go.

Jack's laughter.

Her fingers curled in the dirt in anger.

"Jack! This isn't funny!" She splashed her hands in the murky water for emphasize. " I was scared out of my wits! And look at my dress! Mummy's going to kill me. Are you listening? Jack! I swear, I'll never talk to you again !"

Jack chuckled. _Chuckled_! "C'mon Ellie. You should have seen your face, you were so –" he paused. "Hey, don't cry, it wasn't that–"

"I'm not crying," she snapped. "and I wasn't going to. Help me out would you?"

Jack sighed and Elizabeth briefly heard him mumble something akin to 'bossy', but without complaint he knelt and extended a hand to her.

She reached up, grabbed his hand, and flashing a rare devious smile, she pulled him down.

Right into the lake.

She laughed as he splashed into the lake. Jack was right; it was funny.

He soon re-surfaced, not far from her position, and shot her a bewildered look.

"What was that for!?"

"Its now even." She smiled innocently at him and stood, starting to wring excess water out of her dress and hair.

Jack frowned, then grinned. With a wave of a hand, he drenched her with lake water.

"Hey!"

"Hey, to you too."

"That wasn't nice." She scowled then continued to wring out the water.

"Why are you doing that?"

She gave him an odd look.

"Trying to look presentable?"

Jack splashed her again.

"Would stop that?"

"Nope. We're doing what I want now." He splashed her again.

"What?"

"Don't tell me your forgot your promise already, Ellie–"

"Elizabeth."

He ignored her. "You said we'll do what I want to for the rest of the day. I want to have fun."

She frowned. "But my dress.."

Suddenly, her feet went from under her and and she splashed back into the water.

"Wha–– ?" Jack resurfaced grinning.

"That isn't fair." She pouted.

"What're you gonna do about it?" She laughed, then lunged at him, throwing both of them backwards into the murky water.

Sure they'd look ridiculous, walking back into the village, covered in mud and sogging. Sure her mom would be angry that she got (yet another) dress destroyed. Sure Jack's little sister would be upset that they didn't include her in the fun, and sure she would be teased for the following weeks about nearly crying and falling into the lake and her freaked out face and all of that. And sure she would refuse to bake anything for him, but that was okay.

They were best friends, and that's all that mattered.

_**XxX**_

**Omg... this is like, 9 pages long... I have no idea how I wrote that much... I think you guys can tell which part I wrote at 2:30, and which part I wrote at, like, 4 in the after noon. REALLY big difference. I hope brightens the light on their relationship. Elizabeth, the more proper-ish, neurotic-ish, shy-ish, and mature-ish one of the two. Then we all know what Jack is, the lovable trickster, occasionally sweet and lovable kind of guy we all love. Ignoring the fact I said love like 3 times. **

**Also, lifetime worth of cookies if you noticed, but I tried to make it seem like Jack knew she was growing sleepy, so he kinda made her drowsy in a sense with comforting thoughts... If no-one noticed, I have to work on my writing a bit (read a lot) more. Mmmmm that's all, byeeeee.**

**BTW, my favorite part was the ending. I think it sounded so cute :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D M'kay, byeee.**

**~Have _Sugar_, Be _Sweet, _Become _Obsessed_**


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